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I was SO excited when I found out I was one of the winners of the “Human Stories” Lomography TEN AND ONE 2021 Photography Competition. But I was even more excited when I discovered that my prize was the LomoApparat 35 mm film camera. It’s Lomography’s newest camera and is an experimental, ultra wide 35 mm film camera with a vintage, retro look and tons of features for creating unique, original photographs.
I received the camera right before my birthday and decided to try it out for the first time on my birthday trip to St. Augustine, Florida. I used a roll of Kodak Gold 200 to really give a golden beach glow to the photos. I LOVE taking Kodak Gold on any tropical or beach trip I go on because it adds such a nice, warm atmosphere. In a typical photo shoot situation, I actually prefer NOT to use Kodak Gold because I tend to favor cooler tones. But for the beach, ALWAYS Kodak Gold.
The camera itself was a lot less sturdy than I was expecting. It’s extremely light, made of plastic and feels more like a disposable point and shoot camera than anything else. But when it comes down to it, I don’t really mind. Mostly because I drop my cameras constantly. I throw them in my bag and drag them all over the world. I’m not the best camera mom, if we’re being honest. So I actually prefer that it’s not super fancy because I would destroy it. I still think the camera has a super cool, unique look to it. But ultimately what makes this camera special is all of the creative control it allows for. The various lens attachments, the colorful flash filters, the multiple exposure function and the wide angle lens. It’s just a fun camera to use, all around. The lens is much sharper than I thought it would be, however I did notice that when I used the kaleidoscope filter, the very center of the image would be out of focus. I was pretty bummed about this because I love using kaleidoscope filters. Though it does seem to be a bit sharper if you use the kaleidoscope filter for close-up portraits, rather than landscapes or distant shots. I love how all of the double exposures turned out and I LOVE the wide angle lens. I’ve always been more about composition than anything else, especially when I’m traveling, and the ultra wide lens allows me to capture everything I want and need in a photo.
The only thing I really had trouble with was loading the film. It took a few tries to figure it out and to be sure the film was grabbing as I was winding the film advance dial. Once it was loading correctly, there was much more tension and the film dial almost wanted to spring backwards. So, you’ll notice when the film is actually caught and is advancing through the camera. I’m planning on doing a more in-depth video about the film loading for this camera very soon, so stay tuned!
I just posted a video on my YouTube channel about the LomoApparat and our trip to St. Augustine, so make sure to check that out! Or you can scroll down to check out all of the photos from my first roll of film with the LomoApparat. Overall, I think the camera is super fun and versatile. I honestly can’t wait to take it on another trip and try out a few of the other features. If you love point and shoot cameras and you love having ultimate creative control, then the LomoApparat won’t let you down. I’ll be sure to share more full film rolls from this camera in the future, but for now, I’ve included all of the photos from my very first roll of film with the LomoApparat below. :)
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Have a lovely day!
<3 Myles Katherine
